‘La Liga in danger from proposed Super League’
MADRID:SPAIN’S La Liga is in danger because of a proposal from UEFA to create a Champions League that would be largely closed off to outsiders, its president Javier Tebas said on Monday.
UEFA is working with the European Club Association (ECA), whose members includes Europe’s biggest clubs, to redesign the Champions League from 2024 onwards but has not given any details on proposals, saying discussions are at an early stage.
However, sources with knowledge of the matter have said that there was a concrete proposal to create a European league with three divisions, with promotion and relegation between each.
The top division would be the equivalent of the current Champions League and would have 32 teams, but divided into four groups of eight rather than eight groups of four. This would mean teams playing 14 group stage games instead of six.
This would break with the tradition that teams qualify for European competition through their domestic leagues.
“They are talking about a reform of the Champions, but really it is a new competition. The (domestic) leagues have been the way of qualifying for the Champions League but that won’t be the case anymore,” Tebas said during a programme on the Gol television channel.
“Is La Liga in danger? Yes, without doubt. UEFA can’t do this and we want to convince other institutions that this cannot go ahead. We are working on a strategy.”
OUTCRY AT £6,500 FINE OVER HILLSBOROUGH
LONDON: Relatives of victims of the 1989 Hillsborough football stadium disaster voiced shock on Monday after the only person ever convicted over the tragedy was sentenced to a fine of just £6,500.
Ninety-six people died during an FA Cup tie between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the northern city of Sheffield on April 15, 1989.
Stadium safety officer Graham Mackrell was found guilty by a jury last month of failing to ensure there were enough turnstiles to manage unduly large crowds.
HOLEBAS CLEARED TO PLAY IN FA CUP FINAL
LONDON: Watford defender Jose Holebas will be available to face Manchester City in the FA Cup final after his red card against West Ham United was rescinded.
Holebas was sent off at the start of the second half of Sunday’s Premier League match for a foul on Michail Antonio which denied West Ham a clear goalscoring opportunity.
The FA’S independent regulatory commission upheld Watford’s claim of wrongful dismissal on Monday. Holebas, 34, has been an integral part of Javi Gracia’s side this season, making 28 league appearances and three in the FA Cup.